A smoked fish recall is underway in six states after a possible listeria contamination risk was found in a seafood product sold in 8 ounce packages. The voluntary recall covers Starfish Seafood Trio, a pack of cold smoked salmon, halibut and trout distributed by the wholesale company Krasnyi Oktyabr. According to a notice posted by the Food and Drug Administration on October 9, the recall was issued after New York state inspectors identified a potential contamination risk.
No illnesses have been reported. Still, if you have smoked fish in your fridge, this is the week to check it.
The recalled product is a vacuum-sealed 8-ounce package of Starfish Seafood Trio. To confirm whether yours is part of the recall, look for lot number D139149161-153 and an expiration date of December 1, 2027. The country of origin on the package is Latvia.
The product was distributed in New York, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The FDA notice did not name the stores or specific locations where it was sold, so shoppers in those six states cannot count on knowing where the package came from. USA TODAY has contacted the distributor for more information.
Krasnyi Oktyabr said it has notified the customers who bought the product and told them to stop selling and distributing it immediately. The company also asked those customers to identify any inventory they still have and to notify their own customers about the recall.
If you bought the recalled fish, do not eat it and do not serve it to anyone else. The company said the product can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund. Questions can go to Krasnyi Oktyabr at 718-858-6720, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Listeria is a bacteria that can cause a serious and sometimes fatal infection called listeriosis. Symptoms listed in the recall notice include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Healthy people may only deal with short-term illness, but the risk climbs for certain groups.
Pregnant women and their unborn or newborn babies are among the people at highest risk. A listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or a life-threatening infection in a newborn. Adults 65 and older are also at higher risk, along with people with weakened immune systems, including transplant recipients and people living with conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes and autoimmune diseases.
This smoked fish recall is not the first of its kind. In October 2024, Acme Smoked Fish Corporation recalled 111 cases of Kirkland Signature Smoked Salmon in twin 12-ounce packages after laboratory testing confirmed Listeria monocytogenes on Oct. 21 of that year. In September 2022, Florida-based St. James Smokehouse recalled more than 90 cases of its Scotch Reserve Scottish Smoked Salmon after the Washington State Department of Agriculture found the bacteria in the finished product during routine testing. Those products were sold in 10 states, including Florida.
Smoked fish gets eaten straight from the package, which means there is no cooking step to kill bacteria before it reaches your plate. Check the lot number and expiration date on any Starfish Seafood Trio you have at home, and pass this along to family members in New York, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and South Carolina who may have picked it up.